Contending for the Recognition of Absolutes , Part Two : The Solid Foundation of Biblical Christianity
M any years ago , I was able to attend the funeral of a well-known Christian leader . During the service , the man ’ s son praised his father for being an effective Christian statesman and serving as president of one of his denomination ’ s large institutions . He also praised his father for emphasizing , “ Son , remember this about the Scriptures : The Bible is not a book of history , science , philosophy , or psychology , but a book of faith .”
I cringed when I heard this , even though it held an element of truth . Because God has declared we must approach Him in faith ( see Heb . 11:6 ), we are to come to His Word in faith and expect the Scriptures to inform and strengthen it . Even so , calling God ’ s Word a “ book of faith ” implies it has nothing to say about topics we typically consider non-religious or not specifically spiritual .
Compartmentalization is rife among Christians today . If we think of every believer ’ s life as a house , the Christian often will designate one room for spiritual and religious things while assigning additional pursuits and interests to other rooms . One ’ s family life , career , friendships , recreational interests , entertainment choices , money management , community and civic life , friendships , and parenting all have rooms — and between these rooms , there may be interaction and merging of ideas and interests . Yet , except for Sunday morning worship services and a scant few other “ religious ” activities , the door to the room where spiritual things reside remains locked ; the believer won ’ t allow his or her faith to affect the other areas of life .
This differs from biblical Christianity , where God owns the entire “ house ,” and no arena of a believer ’ s life is unaffected by his or her commitment to Christ and the truths of God ’ s Word ! Jesus doesn ’ t merely forgive repentant sinners and give them eternal life ; He also gives them a new perspective on everything ! See 2 Corinthians 5:11-21 .
By B . Nathaniel Sullivan
Christian author and apologist Greg Koukl explains that Christianity is far more than what most Christians understand it to be . When he asks believers what Christianity is , the answers he typically gets include “ a religious system people follow ,” “ a guide to living a fulfilling life ,” “ a way of finding peace with God ,” and “ a system of ethical principles to live by .” Additional answers include “ a relationship with God or a relationship with Jesus .”
Koukl explains , “ These answers all have some truth to them as far as they go . . . [ but ] I do not think they go far enough . . . . [ Actually ,] Christianity is a picture of reality . 1 It is an account or a description or a depiction of the way things actually are . It is not just a view from the inside ( a Christian ’ s personal feelings or religious beliefs or spiritual affections or ethical views or ‘ relationship ’ with God ). It is also a view of the outside . It is a view of the world out there , of how the world really is in itself . Put another way , Christianity is a worldview .” 2
In Part 1 of this series , we explored the ideology of relativism , which has become the consensus view in America for making ethical and moral choices . Despite relativism ’ s claim that all perspectives are equally valid , relativists won ’ t acknowledge the validity of the view that right and wrong are fixed and exist apart from human opinions and preferences . Christianity , of course , does this .
What is the correct way of determining right from wrong ? Is it relativism , with its emphasis on love , human opinion , and preferences , or Christianity , with its emphasis on God ’ s revealed law ? 3 Here , we are not looking for an approach that makes us feel good or merely appears to accomplish good , but one that is consistent within itself and that aligns with reality — the world in which we live .
RENEWANATION . ORG 15